Street-lam p



(No Model?) W. P. BUTLER.

STREET LAMP.

No. 338,658, Patented Mar. 23, 1886.

f I 170782020 y irjjlgza rfizdlex UNiTnn STATES PATENT @rricn,

\VILLIAM P. BUTLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STREET-LAM P.

EBPECIFEQATIQH forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,658, dated March23, 1886.

Application filed January 21, 1886. Serial No. H9323. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Street- Lamps, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to that class of streetlamps in which a supply ofpetroleum, naphtha, or other oil is contained within a reservoirarranged upon or formedin an ordinary lamp post or stand, saidoil-reservoir having means for forcing the oil to the burner.

The object of the invention is to save labor in filling the reservoirwhich feeds the oil to the burner, to prevent wastage in such fillingoperation, to provide an improved means of automatically controlling thesupply of oil to the feed-reservoir, and to provide a simple andefficient construction and arrangement of parts designed to overcomecertain defects possessed by oil strcetlamps heretofore devised.

The object of my invention I accomplish in the manner and by the meanshereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to theaccompanying drawing, in which the fig ure represents an elevation of astreet-lamp with the lower oil-tank and upper feed-reservoir mountedthereon, and showing an ordinary pistou-pump for forcing the oil fromthe oil-tank into the feed-reservoir.

The reference-numeral 1 designates an ordinary lamp post or standard,which is surmounted by a glass or transparent lantern, 2, containingasuitable bu rner,3,adapted to burn oil or a liquid illuminating agent.A reservoir-tank, 4, adapted to hold enough oil for several nightsburning, is arranged beneath the burner or lantern, and is in theconstruction shown in the drawing, provided with a bottom socket, whichreceives the upper end of the lamp-post. This reservoir, however, may beformed in the post itself, the latter being enlarged for such purpose,and when thisis the case the lantern is supported directly on the post.At a suitable elevation above the burner is arranged a feed reservoir orchamber, 5, which is made of such a size as to hold enough oil for anights consumption. This reservoir or feed-chamber 5 is provided withabottom discharge-tube, 6, which leads to the burner-tube 3, andsupplies oil to the same. A vertical pipe, 7, leads from thereservoirtank to the elevated feed-chamber, and N has several horizontalbranches, 8, which lead into said feed-cl.iamber, as is clearly seen inthe drawing, The uppermost branch of the feed-pipe communicates with thetop of the feed-chamber, and the other branches lead into said chamberat different points. between the top and bottom thereof. The lowerbranches of the feed-pipe-two in the present instance are provided withstop-cocks 1.0,which can be opened or closed to establish or closecommunication between the feed-pipe and feed-chamher and maintaindifferent levels of liquid or oil in the latter.

The feed-pipe is in the construction shown in the drawing led into thebottom of the working barrel or cylinder 11 of apump,which is inclosedwithin the reservoir-tank, and contains an ordinary plunger, 12, the rod13 of which has a hollow cap-piece, 13. Then the plunger is in itslowermost position, this cap 13 fits over the opening 14 in thereservoirtank and prevents the entrance of moisture or foreign mattersinto the same. The bottom of the working-barrel ll of the pump has anopening, 15, guarded by an upwardly-movable valve, 16,which opens whenthe piston is raised to allow oil to enter the workingbarrel 11, andcloses when the piston makes its downstroke to force the oil to theelevated feed reservoir or chamber.

Instead of the plunger-pinup, I may use an air-pump, which will forcethe oil into the reservoir by atmospheric pressure on the top of the oilin the reservoir-tank. The feed-pipe 7 is also provided with a shortpipe, 17,which communicates therewith and with the top of thereservoir-tank, and contains a suitable stop-cock, 27.

The operation of the lamp has been incidentally traced out in theforegoing description of its construction, but it should be added thatwhen the pump is set in action, and the valve of the lower branch of thefced-pipe is opened, the oil will be made to stand in the feed-reservoirat the level of said branch pipe, such oil being then sufficient, say,for four hours burning, after which the light would go out. Vhen thecock in the lower branch is closed and the one in the middle branch isopened, the oil will be caused to stand at the level of said middlebranch and supply oil to the burner for a period of, say, eight hours.When, howev er,both the cooks in the branches of the feed-pipe areclosed, the oil will rise in the elevated feed reservoir to the top ofthe same, and close the air-vent opening 22 in the latter by afloat-valve, 23. Thus the entire capacity of the feed-reservoir will besufficient to hold enough oil for twelve hours burning.

In order to allow the piston to descend in the pump-cylinder after thefeed-reservoir has been properly filled, it is only necessary toestablish the communication between the feedpipe and the reservointankby opening the cook 27 in the pipe 17, when the oil in said feed-pipewill flow back into the reservoirtank.

Referring to the advantages possessed by a lamp constructed according tomy invention, it may be stated that the labor of filling is reduced to aminimum, the labor of extinguish ing the lamp is entirely obviated, thewastage from filling and from carrying the oil about in the barrel isthe least possible; and, finally, the amount of oil used each nightbeing the same, there can be no stealing by the lamp-lighter.

What I claim is- 1. The combination, with a street-lamp, a

reservoir-tank, and an elevated feed-tank having a discharge-tubeconnecting with the lampburner, of a feed-pipe connected atits lower endwith the reservoirtank and having its other end extending verticallybeside the reservoir and provided with a series of lateral branchesplaced one above the other and communicating with the reservoir, saidbranches having stop-cocks, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a street-lamp, a reservoir-tank, and anelevated feed-tank having a discharge-tube connecting with thelampburner, of a pump, a feed-pipe connected at its lower end with saidpump and having its other extending vertically along the feed-tank andprovided with a series of branches having cocks and communicating withthe feed-tank at different heights, and a branch having a valve andleading from said feed-pipe into the top of the reservoir-tank,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM r. BUTLER.

\Vitnesses:

F. O. AYRES, S. A. MARTIN.

I affix my signature

